Roasted Root Vegetables with Pomegranate Molasses
This is my take on a recipe I found years ago in a magazine by Bobby Flay. It can be endlessly altered to include any or all of your favorite fall root vegetables. I have even changed up the Pomegranate Molasses for my Apple Cider Syrup or even just pure maple syrup if I’m short on time! We prepared this in my 2019 Thanksgiving Sides class and everyone raved about it! Many tell me that it is still on their Thanksgiving menu each year!
Photo by Christina Rumpf on Unsplash
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, about 2 cups in a ½ inch dice
2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 red onions, quartered and sliced
1 lb. parsnips, ½ inch dice
Any other root vegetables you like (switch out sweet potato for the butternut squash, try celery root, beets, carrots, turnips, etc.)
½ cup avocado oil
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
½ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds, meat only)
1 cup pomegranate seeds
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Chop vegetables as recommended above, ensuring that they are all approximately even sized and divide between 2 baking sheets.
Drizzle the vegetables with the avocado oil. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Toss so that seasoning is evenly spread throughout. Spread vegetables out on pan so that they are in a single layer.
Roast for 30-35 minutes or until browned.
Take vegetables out of the oven and tip into a large mixing bowl. Add pepitas , ½ of the pomegranate seeds, molasses and toss. Taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, cayenne or molasses to taste. Pour into serving bowl and sprinkle with last ½ of the pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.
* For Thanksgiving day, you may prep and roast the vegetables ahead of time. Leave them on the tray. Before serving, place trays in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 min. till heated through, add pepitas, pomegranate seeds, molasses and proceed as above.